Home to pristine beaches and spectacular surfing, Hawai’i has no shortage of sights. Yet each of the state’s six islands has something special worth seeing. With a bit of island hopping (which can be done by air or by boat), the best of Hawai’i can be seen in one long trip. On top of the world in O’ahu Many direct flights to Hawai’i land at Honolulu International Airport on O’ahu, the most populated of the islands, which makes it an easy place to start any vacation. Waikiki, the southern neighborhood of Honolulu, houses most of the resorts on O’ahu.…

With ships docking and departing daily, the Port of Miami holds the title of cruise capital of the world. But more than just a departure point for exotic locales, the city of Miami has waterfront fun, nightlife parties, and cultural attractions worth enjoying before or after an ocean journey. Here’s how to enjoy it in just a few days. Day 1: Afternoon/Evening The western side of Miami houses many of the city’s immigrant neighborhoods, including Little Havana where thousands of Cuban immigrants have made their home. On the last Friday of every month, check out Viernes Culturales (Cultural Fridays) on…

At one of my very first magazine jobs at U.S. News & World Report (back when they actually had a print magazine!!), I worked in the Features department and we were putting together a package on history’s famous firsts. Betsy Ross had seen some tough times in the 1990s, with a single Wall St. Journal article discrediting her story as something entirely made up by her grandson. It was already tough enough out there to find something resembling a female founding… person… and now Betsy was out of the picture? I was eager to dive in and see what held…

Loving this article by The Wall Street Journal on the travel compromises couples must make when they have different styles or frequencies of flying: “She’s a Frequent Flier, He Checks Bags.” Great headline, but the article is full of stories any business traveller can relate to. “For Ed Pizzarello, a Reston, Va.-based venture capitalist who spends 100 nights a year on the road and is also a co-founder of InsideFlyer, a site focused on miles and points, traveling with his wife meant convincing her not to check a bag. Michelle Pizzarello used to love to pack with amenities like a…

Though I was raised as a good Windows girl, my first Apple Macbook Air I got for work changed everything. Seriously, this 1.5 pound machine was a literal weight off my shoulders after lugging my 6.5-pound Sony Vaio on and off of planes in a big ugly bag. Not only that, the machine stayed cool (no burning off my legs), the battery lasted forever, and the keyboard was super responsive. Plus the machine just looks sleek. I really haven’t looked back. Until now. I had the chance to try out the Intel-powered Surface Book for the annual gift guide I put…

I’m betting real-life business travelers can relate to these scenarios, recently put together by American Express, especially “Wi-Fi or No Fly.” I’ve heard some company expense policies still treat airplane wi-fi as an un-reimbursable expense. That $7.99 really is going to break the bank for the three plus hours of productivity it will pay for… Denied! Check out some other myths versus realties below:

I always used to laugh when I’d reach the end of flights and the flight attendants would thank me for my loyalty. “We know you have a choice when flying, so thanks for choosing [insert name here]”. Hah! Like I really had a choice and like there was much difference between the airlines. I’d always just fly whatever was cheapest, and when I was travelling between Southern California and Colorado, that usually was America West (RIP) and Ted Airlines (also RIP, but was United’s less sucky budget airline). That all changed after I started flying Southwest Airlines a few years ago. Now,…